Hone Harawira under pressure in his Te Tai Tokerau electorate, last weekend a request was made by current Mana members for Clinton Dearlove to stand for Mana in the Tamaki Makaurau.
The request was declined by Mr Dearlove.
This was either a back channel offer by Mr Harawira himself or Mana members breaking ranks over the InternetMONEY party.
Don’t know if the link will function but this has been put up by the Ukraine govt. Purportedly an intercepted conversation proving authorisation from within Russia… (Source Telegraph clip yet to be verified).
It sounds like a horrible mistake in terms of miss identifying the plane, there is some social media from the separatists announcing they had shot down a military plane at the time and place where the Malaysian Jet ended up.
That’s exactly what it is. The rebels only obtained an SA-11 missile system two days ago, and two hours ago were claiming on social media that they’d shot down an AN-26 transport plane.
There is no way that responsible air traffic controllers should have directed a civilian flight through a war zone unnecessarily risking their passengers lives. Especially on a flight path on which two flights had just been shot down in previous days.
This is the height of incompetence and irresponsibility.
There is no way that this should have happened again.
The Soviet Union initially denied knowledge of the incident,[2] but later admitted the shootdown, claiming that the aircraft was on a spy mission.[3] The Politburo said it was a deliberate provocation by the United States[4] to test the Soviet Union’s military preparedness, or even to provoke a war. The White House accused the Soviet Union of obstructing search and rescue operations.[5] The Soviet military suppressed evidence sought by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) investigation, notably the flight data recorders,[6] which were eventually released eight years later after the collapse of the Soviet Union.[7]
The incident was one of the tensest moments of the Cold War and resulted in an escalation of anti-Soviet sentiment, particularly in the United States. The opposing points of view on the incident were never fully resolved. Consequently, several groups continue to dispute official reports and offer alternative theories of the event. The subsequent release of KAL 007 flight transcripts and flight recorders by the Russian Federation has clarified some details.
As a result of the incident, the United States altered tracking procedures for aircraft departing Alaska. The interface of the autopilot used on airliners was redesigned to make it more ergonomic.[8] In addition, the event was one of the most important single events that prompted the Reagan Administration to allow worldwide access to the United States military’s GNSS system, which was classified at the time. Today this system is widely known as GPS
It seems that civilian air flights are being sacrificed as pawns in prelude to all out war.
Putin talked to Obama soon after the downing of the flight. If reports of Putin flying through that airspace just 40 mins beforehand are true, they were probably targetting him.
That’s exactly what it is. The rebels only obtained an SA-11 missile system two days ago, and two hours ago were claiming on social media that they’d shot down an AN-26 transport plane.
The BUK systems require highly trained teams capable of deploying the weapon, arming the system, tracking targets, successfully locking on, and launching. Only Kiev has those teams.
Also AN26 are propeller planes, they look nothing like commercial jets, and usually operate at around 20,000-25,000 feet max: not the ~35,000 feet height of commercial airliners.
Or maybe, karol, people every bit as professional as the sailors on the USS Vincennes, mistaking Iran Air Flight 655 for a military aircraft. They had radars and electronic capabilities well in advance of anything soldiers on the ground with an AA missile launcher and a mobile radar would have.
At this stage I have no idea whether it’s the Ukrainian rebels acting with Russian support, or the neo-fascist government, trying to provoke a Western response. It also comes at a very convenient time for Netanyahu, so I’ll wait and see. While I doubt if the west will intervene militarily, their hypocrisy in condemning this after the number of innocents they have killed really gets to me.
In any case, and whoever did it, killing civilians is horrific. It needs to stop all over the world.
A single MP rather than the entire Parliament. There may even be some other MP’s who share her views but I would suggest they are in the minority. I could equally point you to anti-Jewish views expressed in Arab nations and propagated via state controlled media outlets. There are extremists on both sides.
The chief difference being the ‘terrorists’ in those Parliaments (usually) leave that level of hate-filled commentary to others, namely those not elected by their people to positions of democratic representation and responsibility. As Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Recep Erdogan says “If these words had been said by a Palestinian, the whole world would have denounced it,”
The world, including you, conveniently forget on a regular basis how Hamas is part of a democratically elected government so when Egypt does not even bother to consult them when formulating a cease fire plan, can you blame them for doing what any government would do in that position and rightly claim the cease fire has no consideration for their position, so Palestine has no obligation to agree to it. Israel would have done the exact same thing and you likely would have applauded them for it.
Returning to the hate-speech of Ayelet Shaked. This intelligent experienced professional who is a computer engineer and has previously worked in the office of the Prime Minister, is a top five member of Knesset for the Jewish Home, a group who hold 10% of the Israel Parliament. This Parliamentarian you are so quick to dismiss is part of the unicameral national legislature of Israel. As the legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister, approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government. One might say her views hold some weight.
Update: According to a Dutch news paper an anonymous source told Russian Press agency Interfax that Putin’s plane returning from the BRIC meeting was in the same airspace shortly before or after the Malaysian plane was shot down. the plot thickens!
Wow! An anonymous source told a Russian media agency that there was a plane in the area that if targetted would absolve the Russian government of all blame. Why don’t I placve much store in that do you think?
I find interesting her gigantic leap of logic that simply pointing out that her potential conspiracy theory about the so called real reason for the shooting down of the plane somehow means you must support a war with Russia.
Hey Tinfoil, What conspiracy theory would that be. The one we got pushed down our throat within minutes of the plane crashing or how about we just wait and see and keep all our options open and some real investigative work needs to be done. In order of course to respect those who died 154 are my country men and women after all. Would not want them to used for the next godforsaken war.
The reality C.V it’s been bad for a while, just in the last three days leading up to the shooting down of this Malaysian aircraft. Their has been shelling and shootings across Ukraine. With at least 17 civilian deaths and no-one knows how many combatants have been killed – this includes militias and government forces. Anarchist activists on both sides have been arrested, many on the Russian speaking side of Ukraine are ending up in Russian prisons and have been charged as terrorists. And on the other half they just disappear into red tape, or into these guys hands http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28329329
Could someone tell me when the Labour leader is due back?
Seems odd to have a major launch in Wellington, but then, in the same week that Key is absent the media, Cunliffe accedes the media ground following the launch to National?
You can’t start a campaign, put it on hold, then start it again.
phillip ure
Can you keep your opinionated comments shut until after the election? You are neither use nor ornament when you can’t use your intelligence for good advantage to the left.. With this negative stuff you turn to the dark side.
Why not just shut up if you can’t say something helpful and positive. With friends like you… Perhaps after all you are a sneaky right wing white anter. If not, show it by not saying one more negative thing till the election is over or can’t you help being a smart arse know all.
@phillip
to your last comment – I repeat –
‘You are neither use nor ornament when you can’t use your intelligence for good advantage to the left..’ And the best thing you can do is use your judgment to decide to stop making comments that demean the left.
Jesus it’s like you lot are determined to destroy the left on the basis of pointless dogma. Which one of you is the “peoples popular front” and which one is the “popular peoples front”? It is, however, very entertaining.
Greywarbler, the short answer is F off wanker, the longer one, what comments of mine are you trying to suppress,
If you want me to begin a series of anti-Cunliffe/anti- Labour rants leading into the election attempting to suppress my comments is the exact means of achieving this…
@Bad 12 4.56
It is unfortunate that you are so unable to discipline yourself to find a more courteous and thoughtful approach to other people. You would then limit your bad language but you won’t try as I feel that you like yourself as you are too much.
Lets try again shall we greywarbler, exactly who the fuck do you think you are attempting to suppress how and upon what subjects i choose to comment on,
This is ‘Open Mike’ it is provided so that we can comment on ‘anything’ that might be exercising our brains so as to keep the actual Posts relatively free of such distractions,
The Moderators set the boundaries within which the discourse occurs not you greywarbler, so, if you cannot handle the comments i in particular make, its simple just scroll on by when you see the Bad username, or better still, F off with your inane whining…
As far as I can see, Mr. Ure is a complete narcissist who has somehow self-identified with the left. Sometimes he says something quite insightful and useful, but not more than 5% of the time. I don’t think he’s a right wing white anter like Populuxe, but he could usefully learn that less is more. The way he carries on here is likely to make new readers wonder what the hell they’ve staggered into.
As for the squabbles with bad12, the two of them have just about put me off this site completely. I still read some of the posts, but don’t feel very enthusiastic about contributing.
PS I ate chicken tonight and took oxycodone, so feel free to make remarks about fat dripping down my junkie chin.
Don’t go Murry don’t go. It’s not the election time already.
Just come and visit and read Colonial Viper and karol and a few favourites DtB ec etc. There are plenty. You just have to sort out the wheat from the chaff, the gold from the washings, etc etc. But please don’t increase some other blogs IQ and in your absence, drop ours.
All reports would suggest that the best thing Cunliffe could do is stay away. I do wonder how Labour followers are going to feel when the Greens are the official opposition after September 20th.
But Karol even offering “nothing” is polling better than the “something” Labour has proposed. Doesn’t that concern you that there is no resonance with the policies you espouse, despite in your opinion s lack of opposing policies to measure term against. Perhaps, like let’s say in a democracy, people don’t agree with these ” policies”. You might think they’re just peachy which is your right. Clearly most others don’t agree , which is their right.
I think Cunliffe and the team are on the brink of announcing major new policy about letter-boxes.
And I understand caucus and its advisors have been working around the clock and is almost ready to unleash exciting new policy on toothbrushes.
I know. But I expect National to support a status quo that advantages the already advantaged.
Can’t seem to stop expecting something significantly different and better from Labour. Hence the bitter diappointment.
(If Key announced a letterbox policy it would be lauded as a significant innovation).
Sorry Phil – it is not a global ranking. Your score (which is worked for BTW) – is primarily because of all the linking back from other sites considered relevant (Kiwiblog and the Standard).
So in effect you are crowing about something that is useless (at the moment) for how you are driving your site.
BUT – despite me not agreeing with anything you write (or your language skills for that matter) – you have earned the page rank by working / linking / posting etc.
It gives you a base to work from. so congratulations on that. I would recommend some reading on PR, QS, and SEO in order to further improve what you are trying to achieve.
Useless info – did you know Page rank is not named after “ranking the page”, but is named after Larry Page?
Sorry – It seems that your view of people who disagree with you poisons you a little.
I wasnt actually sneering in the slightest. If you read I was actually being congulatory and acknowledging that you have started building up a page – and that this was from your hard work.
If you search kiwiblog etc you will find your website mentioned many, many times – indeed not a link, but the upshot is whoar.co.nz is mentioned in your post on websites that are recognised as “quality content” (subjective I know) for when people are searching for political info in NZ. Also they are “high traffic” – which again increases their google quality index.
I play in this sandpit – with a very high level of success. What you are doing is right as a basis for moving forward – and I gave a polite idea on other ideas that you can continue to learn in order to become more successful.
So no denigrating or sneering from me. I know its hard to build up. So – dont be a hater – it dosnt make you happy.
i find it extremely difficult to dredge up any sympathy for Hamas in this conflict, having fired hundreds of largely ineffective rockets into Israel the only response that they could expect is for the Israeli’s to send in their army to attempt to crush the Hamas ability to fire such ordinance across the border,
Perhaps Hamas think that Israel will pack up lock stock and smoking guns for a destination other than the stolen Palestinian lands,
At some point in time Hamas will get hold of some of the really sophisticated big bangs being produced by both Syria and Iran and the playing field will be somewhat leveled giving Hamas the ability to total cities inside Israel and leaving Israel with the same problem it has after the Israeli army was mauled in the Lebanon,
It also has an even bigger problem only now in its genesis, should the rouge state that the ISIS rebels are trying to carve out of pieces of both Iraq and Syria become a reality Israel is in danger of being over-run at some point in the future…
All my sympathy goes to the average people throughout the region who have to continue to suffer under either the lunatics who rule them or the lunatics who want to rule them.
Unlikely. An offensive ground based military operation requires an awful lot of preparation. It is not something that is launched at a drop of a hat to take advantage of some other event. Unless you are stating the Israelis are responsible for shooting down the airliner. I am sure some wacky conspiracy theorists will claim that shortly.
He was never claiming that. Merely saying that, for Israel, it is fortuitous timing that they can launch their offensive at the same time as this other tragedy.
Unlikely. An offensive ground based military operation requires an awful lot of preparation. It is not something that is launched at a drop of a hat to take advantage of some other event.
Uh, Israel has been planning the details for weeks and has had plans drawn up in the filing cabinet ready to roll for years
It might take the Americans six months to prepare an invasion of Granada, but Israel is always at a high state of readiness and prides itself on being able to launch operations at short notice. Since Gaza is almost defenceless, with no army, navy, or air force, they can probably invade within 12 hours. Still, I doubt if they made the decision after the airliner went down.
Now this also includes the mothers of the martyrs, who send them to hell with flowers and kisses. They should follow their sons, nothing would be more just. They should go, as should the physical homes in which they raised the snakes. Otherwise, more little snakes will be raised there.
Calling genocide is like crying wolf. When it really happens noone will be willing to do anything about it (e.g. Rwanda). The situation in Gaza is not genocide. If the Israelis were really interested in wiping out the population they would use the same sort of ordinance that the Syrian regime drops on rebel controlled areas.
And I’m pointing out that if there was actual intent the Israelis would be using much more lethal weapons to achieve their aims. In your views why are they not using more deadly weapons?
Because incremental assassination of the populace is more easily managed on the International stage and Israel have been firing from the grassy knoll for decades.
Apparently not if you and others are crying Genocide.
Also as a genocidal policy it isn’t very effective. These sorts of tactics have been carried out by the Israeli military fro decades yet the Palestinian population hasn’t diminished during this time.
“yet the Palestinian population hasn’t diminished during this time.”
are you ignorant or just stupid ?
https://sites.google.com/site/palestiniangenocide/
“over 40 years of illegal Israeli Occupation of the West Bank and Gaza; 0.1 million 1948-2011 violent Palestinian deaths, post-1967 excess deaths 0.3 million; post-1967 under-5 infant deaths 0.2 million; 3,600 under-5 year old Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) infants die avoidably EACH YEAR in the OPT “Prison” due to Apartheid Israeli war crimes.”
Except the Nazis were remarkable successful at reducing the Jewish population in large parts of Europe. Prior to WWII Jews made up a significant proportion of the population of Poland for example. Do you know how many Polish Jews left in Poland there are now?
The various apologists, doubters and hairsplitters here posting support for the dirty filthy Israeli military, should however unlikely, try and grow some human decency.
My point is by using emotional language and labelling anyone who dares to not agree with your point of view you effectively shut down any ability to sensibly debate and discuss options around the subject. Noone is downplaying any deaths or suffereing of any people here (innocent or otherwise). I am quite sure the Israelis think they are protecting their own innocent children via their actions though.
Please. Israel has done nothing but protect their own children by way of 60 years of settlement expansion, at the expense of the second class citizens’ children in that country, Palestinian children.
They can’t even vote…
If we exclude Gaza, one in every 4.5 people living under Israeli rule doesn’t have the right to vote in the coming elections; that one person is (almost) always Palestinian. If Gaza is included, it’s one in three who is not represented.
And when Hamas get their hands on some more sophisticated rockets and begin to smash up Israeli cities with them will you go Wah Wah Wah about the death of Israeli civilians,
Hamas firing of 100s of largely useless homemade rockets into Israel directly provoked this invasion…
They’re in for the long haul as no one else can give the place security from Hamas and other terror organisations.
Cluetip:
When you’re the one who has caused over 200 civilian deaths through naval bombardment, drone strikes, shelling, and airstrikes, including 4 young boys playing on the beach yesterday, YOU are the terror organisation.
Harrier Jump Jet, you are a very disturbed individual to be making such comments. Your pom pom cheerleading of the Israeli Defence Force, who have brought so much death, pain and suffering to innocent people is incredibly sickening.
I sense though, seeing this is very similar to a comment you made on karol’s post, that you could be intentionally trying to wind people up. Such misery is not a game.
Quite possibly. This intervention on the ground looks imilar to their last invasion of the Gaza strip. They are unlikely to achieve anything long term.
And this is why it is necessary to speak up. Because this can’t go on and, as a society, we need to change. What use is fixing anything if we can, collectively, still fail at providing the most basic of securities to over half the population (including children here)?
piffle.
it is just an example of national party cronies out of their depth.
everytime kiwirail has passed into private hands it has been looted and handed back.
this time it is just ineptitude from national party appointees.
Do you have evidence that the people running Kiwi Rail have liks to the National Party?
Interestingly even if you did that would be another reason why the State should not run comercial enterprises because they can stack the board and management with political appointees.
Seems to me Gosman that like all ‘wing-nuts’ you just cannot help but dribble shit, here’s a taste of a few of the private ferry operator Bluebridges recent woes,
11 Feb 2013–The troubled Bluebridge ferry stuck in Wellington with engine problems may be out of action for a while,
Because it’s a private enterprise and so it’s running and inevitable collapse is of no public concern. Whereas the railways, being a natural monopoly, essential infrastructure and run by the state, is,
Yes, it is because it’s all part of the same infrastructure. We used to understand that. Well, our politicians did and they knew that a state monopoly of infrastructure is the most efficient and cost effective means of supplying that service. Then they got bitten by the neo-liberal bug and privatised everything pushing prices up and services down.
Then so is any enterprise that uses not just shipping terminals but roads and airports as well. I presume you think all of those are natural monopolies as well do you? Would be interesting to see how taxis would work if you do.
What is the reason that to all extents and purposes you are a functional dunce Gosman, Peter’s is grandstanding, looking for publicity from political points scoring,
What you do not know, and i do, probably because my old man was an AB on those ships, is that the ferries have been hitting the wharves at Aotea Quay and the Picton terminal with monotonous regularity since they first came into service,
It is only in the age of the ‘smart-phone’ that such occurrence are more likely than not to receive publicity,
The Aotea Quay wharf used by NZRail to berth its ferries is wide open to both the Northerly and Southerly gales that are a regular feature of Wellingtons weather,having to reverse into such berths mean that in such gales the chances of being blown into the wharf are greatly enhanced,
The ‘stretching’ of the Aratere by some 12 meters has turned that ship into a lemon as the insert allows for the ferry to flex in rough conditions more than the original design allowed for,
The private operator Bluebridge’s problem is of another nature, their ferry Santa Regina is 30 odd years old and just about ready for the scrap yard,
The danger of running these old and ill designed ships is that they will experience a significant engine failure, fully laden, in rough weather coming through the Wellington heads,
What is needed is a significant investment in this part of State Highway One with the building of some new ferries preferably here in New Zealand which would create 1000s of jobs and train 1000s of young workers in skills that are always in demand…
What is needed is a significant investment in this part of State Highway One with the building of some new ferries preferably here in New Zealand which would create 1000s of jobs and train 1000s of young workers in skills that are always in demand…
As much as I agree with you that those ferries should be build in NZ by NZers I doubt if doing so would produce more than a couple of hundred jobs.
That may very well be accurate. However the problem is that the National party gets in to office around half the time so has plenty of opportunity of placing their cronies in to positions of power in these organisations. The obvious solution to this is to not have the government being able to appoint their cronies in the first place.
The state should have no role in running Kiwi rail, nor should it be run by commercial interest either. Both have a shocking track record and both have trampled over the labour force in the industry. It seems to me, the only solution left, is a worker lead industry producing a rail system which works for the whole country. Otherwise were going to keep rolling on and on with this stupid system we currently have which is obviously not working for anyone.
Pity the other 87 New Zealand citizens who were also illegally spied upon have been refused the courtesy of also prosecuting those who behaved illegally toward them by the Governments refusal to inform those people that they had been the target of such illegality…
As a footnote: Perhaps Kim DotCom might like to consider widening His legal action against the illegally spying Government agencies into a class action suit covering all the 88 odd New Zealand citizens illegally spied upon,
In such an action the right of ‘discovery’ might reveal to those who were spied upon the fact that they were…
No Gosman, just pointing out your apparently inferior education or lack of actual ability to be educated,
Hint: i aint here as your on call fucking research department, if you want to ask twenty question and expect an answer then i suggest you fuck off and ask those questions of Google like normal people do…
Anyone interested in the culture of North American Indians will find this interview with Bryan Crump on Nights at Radio New Zealand last night awesome.
“Mixed blood Cherokee map-maker Aaron Carapella has created what appears to be the first map showing the names and locations of Native American tribes before Europeans set foot on the North American continent”
Air New Zealand is making its grabaseat special site customer unfriendly for people wanting to travel within NZ. There are nice informative windows for overseas but for NZ there is just a great mass of destinations run together, not even in a list form with some sort of alphabetic order. So I can’t run my eye down to see what is available.
They said they were doing an $8 flight thing and have 1143 – they say available but don’t count on it as they don’t change their available figures on the main list fast. Perhaps the cheap ones have all gone but no way at all of seeing what the status is.
But I have to start a booking before I am told what the price is.not the other way round. So I have made a tentative search with a trial booking and can’t find sign of anything special,not grabaseat price or $8. What a waste of time and smoke and mirrors. I am losing respect for Air NZ. Bring back Rod Fyfe, his stewardship of the airline led to good outcomes for Kiwis travelling within the country.
The problem that Labour have now is one of momentum, its now almost a like a sport to see just how low Labour can fall in the polls. Will Labour break the 20% barrier? Who knows but the msm will be pushing it and people will be interested in seeing it happen and so will try to make it happen.
Will the Australian government bar Obama from the G8?
(Because of his actions in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen and Gaza.)
Radio NZ National, 9:30 a.m., Friday 18 July 2014
In August 1968, the U.S.-led propaganda machine went into catatonic overdrive when the USSR sent tanks and troops into Czechoslovakia in order to bring a halt to Alexander Dubček’s program of political liberalisation. Many observers, of course, noted that the last regime in the world that was entitled to denounce a country for invading another was the United States. In 1968 the United States had more than half a million troops perpetrating the murderous destruction of Vietnam, and in a few years it would go on to attack and destroy Laos and Cambodia, perhaps irreparably. The United States was also the major backer of the blood-soaked Suharto dictatorship in Indonesia, as well as other gruesome regimes in Pakistan, Burma, Spain, Portugal, Israel, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Haiti, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
The Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia killed one hundred and eight people in total. Five months earlier, U.S. troops killed more than four times that number in a typical raid—this one was on two hamlets in Quảng Ngãi province in Vietnam. The hamlets were named My Khe and My Lai. The killings were nothing out of the ordinary; American troops did this so regularly that this particular massacre wasn’t even reported until more than a year later.
Over the years, the hypocrisy has never let up, not for a second. Uncle Sam still finds time to mount the pulpit, up to his knees in blood, and denounce others for doing what he himself has done, and continues to do, on a far greater scale.
It would be a lot harder for such vicious regimes to get away with it if people were more informed. To keep them uninformed, and stupid, and posting to Kiwiblog, and hosting radio talkback shows, it’s important to get the media on board. The best way to do this is to get “reporters” to repeat official blather, and routinely express “concern” at the “behavior” of official enemies, while studiously, diplomatically, putting aside such obvious and troublesome quibbles as: “What about what WE are doing?” There will always be troublemaking reporters, real reporters, of course, outriders like Jon Stephenson, Seymour Hersh, Julian Assange, and Matt Lee, but they can be easily sidelined when you have the vast majority of “reporters” on message, and able to suppress the urge to laugh at the absurdity, or screech at the obscenity, of the charade they are asked to perform.
On Radio NZ National this morning, there was a perfect example of this carefully cultivated blindness. A Malaysian Airlines passenger jet has been shot down in the Eastern Ukraine. It looks like there was possibly some Russian involvement. It looks like a significant number of the victims were Australians. To discuss this grave incident, Nine to Noon host Kathryn Ryan interviewed one Karen Middleton, of SBS. After some talk about the terrible event itself, Middleton moved from reporter to propagandist with sinister smoothness. She noted that Australia is due to host the G8 summit later this year, but that “there have been calls” to not invite Vladimir Putin “because of Russia’s actions in the Ukraine.”
She did not mention any calls to not invite Barack Obama or David Cameron, because of the actions of the United States and its deputy in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen and Gaza.
I am sure Kathryn Ryan thought exactly what I and virtually everyone else was thinking when she heard that: what cant, what exquisite hypocrisy, what specious, sanctimonious nonsense. But she stifled any qualms she might have had, and said nothing. The nasty little provocation was allowed to lie there, unchallenged. Even in the midst of an awful event like this, the propaganda barrage never stops. And, almost without exception, our media representatives, instead of challenging them, cooperate with the propagandists and serve as their megaphone.
I was also interested in both the statement and Ryan’s failure to challenge it.
The experts / propagandists are being trundled out by the Americans to establish a case against Russia and /or the pro-Russian rebels even though we don’t yet know for certain how the plane was brought down and, if it was by means of a sophisticated ground to air missile, it could have been fired from areas of Ukraine not under rebel control.
We do know that 295 civilians died which is tragic and an eerily similar number to the 290 who died when an American aircraft carrier shot down an Iranian commercial aircraft in 1988. They claimed it was an accident and as I recall no-one really questioned that much except the Iranians – and George Bush Snr gave the captain of the carrier involved an award 2 years later for his exemplary service.
It may be the pro-Russian rebels had acquired a sophisticated air to ground missile and the technical knowledge to launch it – although it’s hard to see how they (or the Russians) would think that shooting down an unidentified plane was going to do their cause anything other than great harm. As to the alleged phone conversation ‘confirming’ rebel involvement, how stupid would you have to be to think that a huge jet plane flying at 30,000 feet was bringing spies to the region?
It may of course be a dirty op – and you’d have to be a very ill-informed or ideologically blinkered person to deny the existence of loads of them or to deny the fact that the perpetrators of them wouldn’t give a damn about killing 300 innocents.
An idea that could be useful. A campaign throughout NZ by those wanting to get our democracy working.
Each day ask at least one new person ‘Are you a Sleeping Beauty?’ They will be puzzled and either reject the question as odd or irrelevant or ask for information. The answer would be ‘A Sleeping Beauty is a dreaming NZer who won’t vote in the September election.”
(If they did not reply it would not matter as they would have heard it and if it could go viral, then they hear other people discussing it, and there will have been a breakthrough in the ‘ignoring the election and our democracy’ wall of shame.)
This would just put the thought into people’s minds, become aware and could be done with anyone except people in authority over you, and those men who are so gender sensitive they might punch you in the nose.
If someone could put that idea up on Facebook it would get around fast, great consciousness raising, with a quirk to make it intriguing. It could mean that everyone in NZ would have heard the question, or about it, before the election.
Anyone up for making a positive personal difference as they circulate round the rohe!
Why don’t YOU start this thing off then? Create that FB page and start building the groundswell for the campaign. I personally don’t think it will be particulaly effective but good on you if you give it a go.
Thanks Gosman. Why don’t you give it a go? You have lots of time to sit and contribute critiques to the discourse and it would be good for you to practice your tech skills. I have lots of things that I absolutely must do. And little time to acquire the Facebook skills. You could put your time to something useful except negative stuff.
Or is it like typical NZ – no-one has an idea then someone brings one up, everyone else likes it and appoints the thinker to carry it out. Or it is damned with faint praise as you have done. Wishy-washy NZ. ‘Oh I don’t knoooww if that would work. Let’s sit around and do nothing and gossip. Oh well time to go home, see you tomorrow.’
Real red hen stuff. (This does not apply to all persons
involved with The Standard.)
I do so have permission to edit this comment.
Edited version.
gosamn is a paid moaner for the national party.
as far as I can recall he has never made a constructive contribution here or anywhere else for that matter.
Hello, I have 3 minutes to go but was not allowed to edit again my last comment.
I realise that I am being wishy washy.
Saying an idea that could be useful. How wet.
It is a great idea that would have big positive outcomes for small input. Like throwing a stone in a pond and the ripples spread in rings around – and each new action likewise.
Very funny Tiger Mountain 11.46am
However I am serious that it would be a good idea and not therefore suitable for saying amusing things of a scatalogical nature.
Companies complain that they can’t find skilled hires, but they aren’t doing much to impart those skills, economists and workforce experts say. U.S. companies have been cutting money for training programs for decades, expecting schools and workers to pick up the slack. Economists say that reluctance to develop workers in-house has made it hard for workers to launch or sustain careers, resulting in a stalemate in the labor market: Companies won’t look at job candidates who lack a specific skill set, so openings go unfilled even as millions linger on the unemployment rolls.
Sounds remarkably like what we have in NZ. Companies complaining about the lack of skills but are unwilling to actually do anything about it.
Great post by the Jackal today. National with a small meeting in what appears to be a rest home in Wanaka while IMP are filling halls in the North. Even some young people present.
Be interesting to see the numbers at West Auckland IMP Road Trip meeting on Sunday, 2pm, Kelston Community Centre top of Waikumete hill.
The Northland meetings were good turnouts being in the storm aftermath. The thing with these Internet Mana events is the people there are active locally or at the very least interested. Public meetings can be useful organisers as Winston knows.
TM – precisely. It is only outside of Harawira’s electorate and even down into the Waikato and BoP that we are going to really get a feel for how much momentum IMP actually has.
They’re getting there, but they do not have the big Mo yet.
This thread is a Gosman sandwich. Trouble is it’s our fingers and ideas being bitten off in Gosman’s mouth and other RWNJ peculiar gourmands.
You do have all day to spend here Gosman so please do go on Facebook and put up my suggestion. I really have to go and do some real work instead of just thinking and worrying about getting a better world so that you can come along and pass some superior judgment on it as being a waste of time.
The work was being completed under warranty, but Rail and Maritime Transport Union general secretary Wayne Butson yesterday said that was ”a false economy”.
”Without transparency of costs, it is hard to see whether the warranty work does, in reality, come at no cost.
”Is the loss of revenue while these wagons are out of service being taken into account? Is the involvement of KiwiRail staff supervising the Chinese workers being realised? ”When all costs are totalled, the result will support the RMTU and our members’ views that the new wagons should have been built at Hillside.”
The BERL report on why they should have been built in New Zealand said that we’d get higher quality from Hillside and now it seems that they were correct.
We didn’t need the BERL report, engineers and management at KiwiRail knew months ahead of product delivery that the rolling stock was going to be woefully substandard.
A political decision pushed through by the Tories, the final win for the Tories being them closing down Hillside workshops irreversibly.
We didn’t need the BERL report, engineers and management at KiwiRail knew months ahead of product delivery that the rolling stock was going to be woefully substandard.
Probably because they read the BERL report before the order went out.
A political decision pushed through by the Tories, the final win for the Tories being them closing down Hillside workshops irreversibly.
Nothing is ever irreversible – it’ll just take a long time to set up again.
We certainly do have to question why the Tories seem so hell bent on destroying NZ’s economy though.
Probably because they read the BERL report before the order went out.
FFS mate, no fucking economic consultants report was needed to tell the Kiwi Rail engineers who have had to deal first hand with the shit gear manufactured out of China for years and years that this was going to be more of the same.
That report was required to try and penetrate the muddle headed bureaucrats and media who had no idea and still have no idea.
It may come as news to you that we have a Free Trade Agreement with China. You can’t reverse that. Indeed there is no alternative to a rapid expansion of such agreements with East Asian countries. I would like to see the next one with Bangladesh. You are living in a 1970s bubble dream about New Zealand manufacturing. If cars can’t be made economically in Australia, how are we going to produce train sets? From memory the Hillside bid came in about sixth on price.
The only way your world view will work is a return to protectionism. That is not happening.
You would be much better advised to work with markets to advance the circumstances of the poor. Otherwise you are just pissing in the wind and irrelevant to modern life. Your ideas will simply never be implemented in New Zealand.
It may come as news to you that we have a Free Trade Agreement with China.
A free trade agreement doesn’t mean that we have to buy from them. Willing buyer, willing seller and such.
If cars can’t be made economically in Australia, how are we going to produce train sets?
Cars can be made economically in Australia same as they can be made economically here. The problem you have, and it’s right across economics, is that you confuse finances with economics.
The only way your world view will work is a return to protectionism.
Nope – count full costs properly and trade between nations will end.
You would be much better advised to work with markets to advance the circumstances of the poor.
Markets only work to empower and enrich the already rich – as we’ve seen throughout history.
What is it with the sub-editors or those who write the headers for the Herald.
“NZ First’s shoot to kill law.”
Sound pretty lethal. But Adam Bennett’s column just explains that NZF wants the laws regarding self-defence to be clarified. Farmers or dairy owners defending themselves. A good idea. Have written to Adam as such a misleading header detracts from the quality of his writing. Shame. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11295250
It is the misleading headers in the Herald that bug me: “Toby Manhire: Dotcom’s delayed bombshell looks like a fizzer.”
Not what Toby says at all + the NZF I forgot to send this morning @21.1
If Samuels took the trouble to read what Cunliffe actually said, not what the MSM reported, you will see that in context it was a brave attempt to initiate a debate on the real problem of violence against women to which our shallow PM could only say this was a “silly” thing to say. Pathetic response.
The highway north can be improved without spending the vast amounts proposed by National. The balance can be spent on things that are desperately needed in NZ like better public transport, smaller class sizes, paying off the $50 billion in debt incurred by this National government etc etc
Notice also that he is not moving his vote to National.
If Samuels took the trouble to read what Cunliffe actually said, not what the MSM reported, you will see that in context it was a brave attempt to initiate a debate on the real problem of violence against women to which our shallow PM could only say this was a “silly” thing to say. Pathetic response.
Dover Samuels a good man? Good at looking after himself. At least as good as Shane Jones. Not quite so good at doing anything worthwhile for the people of Matauri Bay, let alone Te Tai Tokerau.
Each time I make a comment I need to fill in my name and email address. It’s been happening for a few days. Don’t know whether the problem is at my end or TS end.
Lolz, it is giving me apoplexy, i mean how hard is it to learn to ‘look’ each time you make a comment, yet for the last few days despite telling myself how fucking stupid i am over and over i still keep not looking,
Laughs, it got me a goody again this afternoon, straight after i logged onto the Standard i filled in the name and email thinking that will fix it,
Browsed a couple of Posts and then made a comment, again forgetting to look, and the name and email had done the disappearo again….
Please show us where they highlight those who have moved on from a benefit such as ‘Widow’s’ benefit or DPB or Long-Term Invalid’s benefit and are now receiving Superannuation? Whilst doing that would you be so kind to present any data available about those who have simply been removed from assistance with no other form of income. That might be difficult by the way as the government choose not to collect that data. It is a bit tougher to rah rah when reality is asked for isn’t it Puckish Rogue.
snap Freedom.
The Household Labour force survey has in recent years consistently shown higher numbers of unemployed, looking for work and discouraged unemployed, not actively seeking work, than there are numbers on unemployment benefits. And no, they have not migrated to sickness benefits, let alone found stable jobs. Remember the benefit system has been collapsed down into nearly everyone being considered a ‘jobseeker’ regardless of circumstances, inclusive of the sick, some invalids and sole parents.
The answer is;
a) the two Paulas (Bennett and Rebstock) war on the poor which includes making WINZ effectively a difficult to negotiate sadistic process which people basically avoid if they can possibly do so. WINZ have their own designated doctors and more required meetings and useless seminars than you can imagine that require transport, a mobile phone, presentable clothing etc.
b) a large slice of struggling lower mid socio level people drawing Keys “communism by stealth” in work tax credit aka WFF. If not for this Labour devised handout many more would be caught in the WINZ catch 22.
So people end up in cars, garages, petty crime, begging, precarious employment and the ‘black’ economy. Lower benefit numbers mean diddly with all the social dislocation and strife in this country.
It shouldn’t happen but it does and the latest example of racial profiling is shocking.
After police entered Stratford’s Whakaahurangi Marae on Saturday morning, the children, aged from 4 to 17, were made to get out of bed and lined up to show their hands so that police could look for evidence of an assault, marae spokeswoman Lovely Read said.
She said the children were left shaken after rude and aggressive treatment from the police.
This little movie, made of 36 ‘smoothed’ or interpolated images of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, takes it to the next level, showing the comet’s complex shape even more clearly as Rosetta nudges ever closer to its target. Some have likened it to a duck, a boot and even a baby’s foot.
Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I- Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka KotahiThe fact that a ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st CenturyThe SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims StuffSteve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
Normally when we talk about accessing public transport it’s about improving how easy it is to get to, such as how easy is it to cross roads in a station/stop’s walking catchment, is it possible to cycle to safely, do bus connections work, or even if are there new routes/connections ...
Politicians are not renowned for telling the truth. Some tell us things that are verifiably not true. They offer statements that omit critical pieces of information. Gloss over risks, preferring to offer the best case scenario.Some not truths are quite small, others amusing in their transparency. There are those repeated ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
The government’s attack on Māori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te Pāti Māori. “The government have begun their onslaught on Māori health with the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same day” said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
Today marks a tragic milestone for New Zealanders as the Coalition Government side with big tobacco to repeal the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Act 2022, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins and Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
This year’s Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity and the contribution of Pacific communities to New Zealand culture, says Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti. Dr Reti announced dates for the 2024 Pacific Language Weeks during a visit to the Pasifika festival in Auckland today and says there’s so ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
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Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
The government says it still intends to deliver tax cuts by July, but will not lock them in until they have got them past their coalition partners. ...
Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII has hosted members of the Green Party Caucus at Tuurangawaewae Marae in Ngaaruawahia. The audience follows the King’s Hui-aa-Motu on 20 January, where more than 10,000 people gathered to discuss national ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dr Rachael Potter, Research Associate and Lecturer in Work and Organisational Psychology, University of South Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Pregnant women and workers with children are often unfairly treated by their bosses and colleagues, despite laws to protect against workplace discrimination ...
Reacting to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s refusal to rule out introducing new taxes at the budget, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said: “Today’s refusal to rule out new taxes suggests the Government is nothing more ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne Aila Images/Shutterstock Aged-care workers will receive a significant pay increase after the Fair Work Commission ruled they ...
He’s bringing ‘Sophie’ back, yeah. Goodshirt’s ‘Sophie’ music video is one of the most instantly recognisable New Zealand music videos of all time. Featuring a woman listening to the song on headphones while her entire house is burgled behind her, the video won the New Zealand music award for Best ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Blaxland, Professor, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University A year ago, the AUKUS agreement was formally announced between Australian and UK Prime Ministers Anthony Albanese and Rishi Sunak and US President Joe Biden. The agreement mapped out the “optimal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andreas Helwig, Associate Professor, Electro-Mechanical Engineering, University of Southern Queensland SmartS/Shutterstock Steam locomotives clattering along railway tracks. Paddle steamers churning down the Murray. Dreadnought battleships powered by steam engines. Many of us think the age of steam has ended. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carrie Leonetti, Associate Professor of Law, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Victims who experience family violence in Aotearoa New Zealand are treated differently, depending on which part of the justice system they turn to for help. But a new member’s bill ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Tesch, Visiting Fellow at the ANU Centre for European Studies, Australian National University In perhaps the least surprising news of the year, Vladimir Putin has triumphed at the Russian ballot box and been enthroned for the fifth time as president. He ...
The Papua New Guinea Supreme Court has stopped a byelection for the Madang Open seat being held until an appeal filed by former MP Bryan Kramer is concluded. Kramer had appealed to the Supreme Court over a National Court decision not to review his application of the Leadership Tribunal decision ...
By Miriam Zarriga in Port Moresby Despite a “historic” ceasefire agreement in Papua New Guinea between Enga authorities and tribal leaders after months of bitter warfare, a young woman has been found brutally killed near Kaekin village, Wapenamanda. Despite the peace agreement and signing concluded in Port Moresby last Thursday ...
The second season of Ryan Murphy’s Feud is a sadder and slower entry into his canon of true story-telling, leaning heavily on a verdict about the cost of a single work of art. Hollywood heavyweight Ryan Murphy has had a bit of “ick” about him in the last few years. ...
Are you deeply passionate about sharing Māori stories? We’re on the hunt for an experienced writer/editor to lead coverage in our Ātea section.Ātea is a deeply valued section of The Spinoff site, offering Māori perspectives and insights across politics, current affairs and culture. We are thrilled to be looking ...
By Aisha Azeemah in Suva With the lights on one of his sneakers blinking as he ran through the gallery, a little boy looked up at several works of art. One of them was a sculpture of his grandfather: the man who changed how we see the Pacific — Epeli ...
WHAT: Uber drivers are holding a rally outside the Court of Appeal in Wellington tomorrow, as the company begins its appeal against 2022’s Employment Court verdict (in a case taken jointly by FIRST Union and E tū) that four drivers were permanent ...
Hone Harawira under pressure in his Te Tai Tokerau electorate, last weekend a request was made by current Mana members for Clinton Dearlove to stand for Mana in the Tamaki Makaurau.
The request was declined by Mr Dearlove.
This was either a back channel offer by Mr Harawira himself or Mana members breaking ranks over the InternetMONEY party.
link below
https://www.facebook.com/289480731230120/photos/a.289845987860261.1073741828.289480731230120/300839110094282/?type=1
🙄
Doubly 🙄 so 🙄 ,i have been meaning to ask NzJackson if He has been in possession of a high powered slug rifle recently…
Very very bad news. Malaysian airliner destroyed over eastern Ukraine. Its going to get ugly, fast.
Don’t know if the link will function but this has been put up by the Ukraine govt. Purportedly an intercepted conversation proving authorisation from within Russia… (Source Telegraph clip yet to be verified).
It sounds like a horrible mistake in terms of miss identifying the plane, there is some social media from the separatists announcing they had shot down a military plane at the time and place where the Malaysian Jet ended up.
Correct to say it’s going to get ugly fast…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=V5E8kDo2n6g
Shit. Sounds like some amateurs with deadly weapons, mistaking a civilian plane for a military one.
intercepted phone calls show two russian intelligence officers involved..
That’s exactly what it is. The rebels only obtained an SA-11 missile system two days ago, and two hours ago were claiming on social media that they’d shot down an AN-26 transport plane.
There is no way that responsible air traffic controllers should have directed a civilian flight through a war zone unnecessarily risking their passengers lives. Especially on a flight path on which two flights had just been shot down in previous days.
This is the height of incompetence and irresponsibility.
There is no way that this should have happened again.
From Wikipedia: KAL 007
It seems that civilian air flights are being sacrificed as pawns in prelude to all out war.
it is common for civilian overflights of areas of conflict..
..they fly high..at 30,000 ft…
..and there is no way that hand-held rocket-launchers etc can take them down..
..it has to be a sophisticated missile..one beyond the ken of most conflicts..
Putin talked to Obama soon after the downing of the flight. If reports of Putin flying through that airspace just 40 mins beforehand are true, they were probably targetting him.
http://www.straitstimes.com/news/asia/south-east-asia/story/obama-warns-putin-more-sanctions-over-ukraine-crisis-after-malaysia-
Russia Today reports Kiev had deployed over two dozen BUK advanced anti-aircraft systems to the Donetsk region.
http://rt.com/news/173636-buk-malaysian-plane-crash/
The BUK systems require highly trained teams capable of deploying the weapon, arming the system, tracking targets, successfully locking on, and launching. Only Kiev has those teams.
Also AN26 are propeller planes, they look nothing like commercial jets, and usually operate at around 20,000-25,000 feet max: not the ~35,000 feet height of commercial airliners.
AN 26 data
http://www.flugzeuginfo.net/acdata_php/acdata_an26_en.php
Or maybe, karol, people every bit as professional as the sailors on the USS Vincennes, mistaking Iran Air Flight 655 for a military aircraft. They had radars and electronic capabilities well in advance of anything soldiers on the ground with an AA missile launcher and a mobile radar would have.
At this stage I have no idea whether it’s the Ukrainian rebels acting with Russian support, or the neo-fascist government, trying to provoke a Western response. It also comes at a very convenient time for Netanyahu, so I’ll wait and see. While I doubt if the west will intervene militarily, their hypocrisy in condemning this after the number of innocents they have killed really gets to me.
In any case, and whoever did it, killing civilians is horrific. It needs to stop all over the world.
A horrible mistake? Giving surface to air weapons to a bunch of lunatics in the first place is a horrible mistake. Thanks Vlad.
And yet the Americans keep doing so.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_flag
??
Even worse. Netanyahu just ordered the ground invasion into Gaza to go live.
Here is an example of the unmitigated sickness of mind in the Israeli Parliament
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/07/16/371556/israel-must-kill-all-palestinian-mothers/
A single MP rather than the entire Parliament. There may even be some other MP’s who share her views but I would suggest they are in the minority. I could equally point you to anti-Jewish views expressed in Arab nations and propagated via state controlled media outlets. There are extremists on both sides.
breaking news from Gosman
The chief difference being the ‘terrorists’ in those Parliaments (usually) leave that level of hate-filled commentary to others, namely those not elected by their people to positions of democratic representation and responsibility. As Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Recep Erdogan says “If these words had been said by a Palestinian, the whole world would have denounced it,”
The world, including you, conveniently forget on a regular basis how Hamas is part of a democratically elected government so when Egypt does not even bother to consult them when formulating a cease fire plan, can you blame them for doing what any government would do in that position and rightly claim the cease fire has no consideration for their position, so Palestine has no obligation to agree to it. Israel would have done the exact same thing and you likely would have applauded them for it.
Returning to the hate-speech of Ayelet Shaked. This intelligent experienced professional who is a computer engineer and has previously worked in the office of the Prime Minister, is a top five member of Knesset for the Jewish Home, a group who hold 10% of the Israel Parliament. This Parliamentarian you are so quick to dismiss is part of the unicameral national legislature of Israel. As the legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister, approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government. One might say her views hold some weight.
Her post by the way, was published the day before the Palestinian teen was abducted and burned alive in retaliation for the three Israeli teens whose deaths have been central to this latest incident. The same tragic deaths Netanyahu was all too eager to manipulate into full hysteria and escalate into true bloodlust.
http://electronicintifada.net/content/netanyahu-government-knew-teens-were-dead-it-whipped-racist-frenzy/13533
http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/israeli-lawmakers-call-genocide-palestinians-gets-thousands-facebook-likes
Update: According to a Dutch news paper an anonymous source told Russian Press agency Interfax that Putin’s plane returning from the BRIC meeting was in the same airspace shortly before or after the Malaysian plane was shot down. the plot thickens!
Wow! An anonymous source told a Russian media agency that there was a plane in the area that if targetted would absolve the Russian government of all blame. Why don’t I placve much store in that do you think?
ANNDDDD Wow, The Gos is bored and needs to earn his shill money! Gagging for a war with Russia are you? You fuckin moron.
Please go back to your dark hole Travelleve- your bilious and vile conspiracy theories are grossly disrespectful to those killed and their families.
I find interesting her gigantic leap of logic that simply pointing out that her potential conspiracy theory about the so called real reason for the shooting down of the plane somehow means you must support a war with Russia.
You can go away as well.
Apart from offering heart felt condolences to those involved there’s not much else to be said at present.
+1
hey ev, dont you mean moran!
Hey Tinfoil, What conspiracy theory would that be. The one we got pushed down our throat within minutes of the plane crashing or how about we just wait and see and keep all our options open and some real investigative work needs to be done. In order of course to respect those who died 154 are my country men and women after all. Would not want them to used for the next godforsaken war.
You want to write moron as moran be my guest.
The reality C.V it’s been bad for a while, just in the last three days leading up to the shooting down of this Malaysian aircraft. Their has been shelling and shootings across Ukraine. With at least 17 civilian deaths and no-one knows how many combatants have been killed – this includes militias and government forces. Anarchist activists on both sides have been arrested, many on the Russian speaking side of Ukraine are ending up in Russian prisons and have been charged as terrorists. And on the other half they just disappear into red tape, or into these guys hands http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28329329
Could someone tell me when the Labour leader is due back?
Seems odd to have a major launch in Wellington, but then, in the same week that Key is absent the media, Cunliffe accedes the media ground following the launch to National?
You can’t start a campaign, put it on hold, then start it again.
Cunliffe, you need to come back.
Wasnt he in Queenstown yesterday campaigning with Liz Craig? But yes, basically everyone has bizzarely gone for school holidays.
mp’s can’t be expected to interrupt their ‘school-holidays’..!
..what heresy are you suggesting..?
..they need their extended/frequent holiday-breaks..
..they work so hard..on our behalf..the poor-luvvies..!
..i mean..all those questiontimes..?
Ideally some shots of him with a hammer in his hand putting up billboards tomorrow wouldn’t go astray.
Also we have campaign headquarters open and the old engine gets turned on again.
For most activists, we are neck deep in it – and moral support really counts winter, and when the polls are down.
Yep. Me and mates are putting up hoardings all around Region 6 next weekend. And the one after that.
cunnliffe should have been here..filling that media/information vaccuum..
..he needs a fucken holiday more..?
..that is more important..?..
..at this particular point in time..?
..yet another tactical foot-shot..
..it’s getting to be a long fucken list of them..isn’t it..?
It’s negative comments that fuel the anti-Cunliffe debate. He is good value and the right man for the job.
There is a massive anti Cunliffe MSM campaign out there. He was campaigning in Queenstown not on holiday in Hawaii.
FFS give the man a break and say something positive about him. We are 9 weeks out from an election and the Left needs to pull together.
BG @3.1.3.1. 100+
phillip ure
Can you keep your opinionated comments shut until after the election? You are neither use nor ornament when you can’t use your intelligence for good advantage to the left.. With this negative stuff you turn to the dark side.
Why not just shut up if you can’t say something helpful and positive. With friends like you… Perhaps after all you are a sneaky right wing white anter. If not, show it by not saying one more negative thing till the election is over or can’t you help being a smart arse know all.
and that goes for bad 12 too.
“..or can’t you help being a smart arse know all…”
..i’ve tried treatment..nothing worked…
..and i am ‘working for the left’..
..i am ‘working’ for a real ‘left’ govt..
..not just a national-lite/clark-years rehash..
..which you seem to be more than happy with the prospect of..?
In what way are you working for those things?
u go first tracey..
@phillip
to your last comment – I repeat –
‘You are neither use nor ornament when you can’t use your intelligence for good advantage to the left..’ And the best thing you can do is use your judgment to decide to stop making comments that demean the left.
re yr comment:..i repeat..
“….not just a national-lite/clark-years rehash..
..which you seem to be more than happy with the prospect of..?.”
Jesus it’s like you lot are determined to destroy the left on the basis of pointless dogma. Which one of you is the “peoples popular front” and which one is the “popular peoples front”? It is, however, very entertaining.
Greywarbler, the short answer is F off wanker, the longer one, what comments of mine are you trying to suppress,
If you want me to begin a series of anti-Cunliffe/anti- Labour rants leading into the election attempting to suppress my comments is the exact means of achieving this…
@Bad 12 4.56
It is unfortunate that you are so unable to discipline yourself to find a more courteous and thoughtful approach to other people. You would then limit your bad language but you won’t try as I feel that you like yourself as you are too much.
Lets try again shall we greywarbler, exactly who the fuck do you think you are attempting to suppress how and upon what subjects i choose to comment on,
This is ‘Open Mike’ it is provided so that we can comment on ‘anything’ that might be exercising our brains so as to keep the actual Posts relatively free of such distractions,
The Moderators set the boundaries within which the discourse occurs not you greywarbler, so, if you cannot handle the comments i in particular make, its simple just scroll on by when you see the Bad username, or better still, F off with your inane whining…
As far as I can see, Mr. Ure is a complete narcissist who has somehow self-identified with the left. Sometimes he says something quite insightful and useful, but not more than 5% of the time. I don’t think he’s a right wing white anter like Populuxe, but he could usefully learn that less is more. The way he carries on here is likely to make new readers wonder what the hell they’ve staggered into.
As for the squabbles with bad12, the two of them have just about put me off this site completely. I still read some of the posts, but don’t feel very enthusiastic about contributing.
PS I ate chicken tonight and took oxycodone, so feel free to make remarks about fat dripping down my junkie chin.
Don’t go Murry don’t go. It’s not the election time already.
Just come and visit and read Colonial Viper and karol and a few favourites DtB ec etc. There are plenty. You just have to sort out the wheat from the chaff, the gold from the washings, etc etc. But please don’t increase some other blogs IQ and in your absence, drop ours.
He was indeed CV!
😀
All reports would suggest that the best thing Cunliffe could do is stay away. I do wonder how Labour followers are going to feel when the Greens are the official opposition after September 20th.
It’s a shame the right has nothing to campaign on but negativity. Got nothing to offer the country or the majority of Kiwis.
you also really need to look to labour..
..there are no real game-changing policies ..on matters that really matter ..on offer from them..
..just the same old faces..preaching the same old neo-lib ‘growth’/arbeit-macht-frei! bullshit…
..but as long as the greens and internet/mana pick up those collapsing labour votes..
(.and more..).
..the left bloc cd end up looking how many (including me) wd like it..
..with neo-lib labour collapsing out to those smaller parties..
..the ones that have ‘real’ labour policies…
..and the greens/internet/mana together being able to force labour to enact the changes we need..
..i for one was not happy at the prospect of a dominant-labour..greens as ministers..supported by peters..
..with internet/mana glowering on the opposition benches..
..from chaos comes change..
..(and you can’t say labor haven’t been warned..repeatedly..with the polls also underlining that story..
..a cunnliffe promising major change..soared in the polls..
..cunnliffe/labour veering back to the centre/right since then..showing a corresponding dive in support..’
..just exactly how much more of a fucken heads-up do they need..?..)
Phillip-negative negative negative. Do take a look at all the policies Labour have announced with more to come.
Are you trolling for the Nats now?
yes they have some bits and bobs that r ok…
..but there is no poverty-busting..
..there is no serious fighting global climatechange in there..
..(in fact..to the contrary…more drilling/mines etc..)
..there is no financial transaction tax on the banksters..etc..etc..
..they are just promising more of the fucken same..
..you can’t see that..?
..we should all clap n unison for the hope of a clark yrs reprise…?
..r u kidding me..?
..u can’t see this as the cause for the collapse in support..?
..we do have memories slightly longer than goldfish..
..and show me anyone who just wants that reprise of the clark yrs..
…it’s the same faces..offering the same stuff..and saying ‘trust us..!..again..!..’..
..u seriously can’t see that..?
..and b clear..were they rolling out policies such as above..i wd b cheering them thru the rafters..
..but they ain’t..and i won’t…until they do..
..it’s called agitating for change..real change..
It’s a shame the right has nothing to campaign on but negativity
Really?
Off the top of my head Labour has gone about the:
boat building crisis
manufacturing crisis
housing crisis
social-housing crisis
forestry crisis
immigration crisis (too many kiwis leaving)
immigration crisis (too many people arriving)
marine industry crisis
Because thats positive
yeah – you need to show the positivity from the right to make your argument work
“were not as bad as you” doesnt make something a positive (irrespective of validity of initial claim)
Ah, no, those crisis are all the result of National’s policies. Admittedly, policies originally brought in by the 4th Labour government.
You’ll also note that National are the truly negative party with their outright attacks upon the opposition and no policies.
But Karol even offering “nothing” is polling better than the “something” Labour has proposed. Doesn’t that concern you that there is no resonance with the policies you espouse, despite in your opinion s lack of opposing policies to measure term against. Perhaps, like let’s say in a democracy, people don’t agree with these ” policies”. You might think they’re just peachy which is your right. Clearly most others don’t agree , which is their right.
I think Cunliffe and the team are on the brink of announcing major new policy about letter-boxes.
And I understand caucus and its advisors have been working around the clock and is almost ready to unleash exciting new policy on toothbrushes.
National however is rolling out definitive and innovative new policies on…
…oh look! a photo of John Key with a lei!
I know. But I expect National to support a status quo that advantages the already advantaged.
Can’t seem to stop expecting something significantly different and better from Labour. Hence the bitter diappointment.
(If Key announced a letterbox policy it would be lauded as a significant innovation).
+1
woo-bloody-hoo..!
..last nite at a meeting of internetty-people..
..i heard for the first time about googles’ page-ranking…
..which evaluates websites in a global-ranking between one to ten..
..(a super-ranking..if you will..)
..(ie..facebook is a nine..)
..and looking locally…the standard is a six..which is very very good…
..only pipped by kiwiblog…which is a seven..(‘boo..!’..)
..both whaleoil and the daily blog…are at five..which is also very very good…
..and whoar..?…whoar is also at five..(woo-bloody-hoo..!..eh..?..)
..as the internetty-people looked at me nodding their heads in unison as they said..’that is very very good..!’..
..i felt a definite lifting of spirits..a ‘high’ even…
..and i have achieved this ranking despite no social-media action..no seo-tweaking on my part..
..and that makes where i am now..even sweeter…
..(but as i said to those internetty-people last nite..’ok..but why am i still poor..?’..)
Sorry Phil – it is not a global ranking. Your score (which is worked for BTW) – is primarily because of all the linking back from other sites considered relevant (Kiwiblog and the Standard).
Here is some reading if you are interested: http://www.webworkshop.net/pagerank.html
So in effect you are crowing about something that is useless (at the moment) for how you are driving your site.
BUT – despite me not agreeing with anything you write (or your language skills for that matter) – you have earned the page rank by working / linking / posting etc.
It gives you a base to work from. so congratulations on that. I would recommend some reading on PR, QS, and SEO in order to further improve what you are trying to achieve.
Useless info – did you know Page rank is not named after “ranking the page”, but is named after Larry Page?
that’s funny..!
..kiwiblog..and the standard..linking back to me..?
..that’ll be a cold day in hell..
..where did you pluck that one from..?
..and really..i wd rather take the word/opinion of the people i was with last nite..their credibility/areas of work speak for themselves..
..their ‘very very good’ outweighs yr sneer..
..and hey..!..there are over 20,000 other websites around the world that have me/whoar on their best-blog list..
..how wd you explain away/denigrate that one..?
..and yes..i did know it was named after larry page…
..i learnt that also last nite..
Sorry – It seems that your view of people who disagree with you poisons you a little.
I wasnt actually sneering in the slightest. If you read I was actually being congulatory and acknowledging that you have started building up a page – and that this was from your hard work.
If you search kiwiblog etc you will find your website mentioned many, many times – indeed not a link, but the upshot is whoar.co.nz is mentioned in your post on websites that are recognised as “quality content” (subjective I know) for when people are searching for political info in NZ. Also they are “high traffic” – which again increases their google quality index.
I play in this sandpit – with a very high level of success. What you are doing is right as a basis for moving forward – and I gave a polite idea on other ideas that you can continue to learn in order to become more successful.
So no denigrating or sneering from me. I know its hard to build up. So – dont be a hater – it dosnt make you happy.
apologies 4 negative-reaction..
..i unreservedly withdraw..
..and..chrs..
I read your comment as praising but making a slight information corre tion
Israel has celebrated the end of the truce by killing some more kids and beginning a ground invasion. Shits.
Cynical: while the world is focused on the Ukraine!
Exactly! Never let a good crisis go unexploited.
they have heralded this over recent days..
..with a corresponding build-up of troops on the border..
..but yes..it does suit them…
..but unless they have e.s.p..
..i don’t think this plane-shooting down is why they are invading now.
..this is what they had planned all along..
i find it extremely difficult to dredge up any sympathy for Hamas in this conflict, having fired hundreds of largely ineffective rockets into Israel the only response that they could expect is for the Israeli’s to send in their army to attempt to crush the Hamas ability to fire such ordinance across the border,
Perhaps Hamas think that Israel will pack up lock stock and smoking guns for a destination other than the stolen Palestinian lands,
At some point in time Hamas will get hold of some of the really sophisticated big bangs being produced by both Syria and Iran and the playing field will be somewhat leveled giving Hamas the ability to total cities inside Israel and leaving Israel with the same problem it has after the Israeli army was mauled in the Lebanon,
It also has an even bigger problem only now in its genesis, should the rouge state that the ISIS rebels are trying to carve out of pieces of both Iraq and Syria become a reality Israel is in danger of being over-run at some point in the future…
All my sympathy goes to the average people throughout the region who have to continue to suffer under either the lunatics who rule them or the lunatics who want to rule them.
Exactly…
And the media who like to stir the pot…
Unlikely. An offensive ground based military operation requires an awful lot of preparation. It is not something that is launched at a drop of a hat to take advantage of some other event. Unless you are stating the Israelis are responsible for shooting down the airliner. I am sure some wacky conspiracy theorists will claim that shortly.
He was never claiming that. Merely saying that, for Israel, it is fortuitous timing that they can launch their offensive at the same time as this other tragedy.
Uh, Israel has been planning the details for weeks and has had plans drawn up in the filing cabinet ready to roll for years
It might take the Americans six months to prepare an invasion of Granada, but Israel is always at a high state of readiness and prides itself on being able to launch operations at short notice. Since Gaza is almost defenceless, with no army, navy, or air force, they can probably invade within 12 hours. Still, I doubt if they made the decision after the airliner went down.
So to be up front I am generally an Israel supporter.
But I’d have thought the had made their point by now.
They are acting like assholes.
Israel will occupy the West Bank like Macarther occupied Japan.
They’re in for the long haul as no one else can give the place security from Hamas and other terror organisations.
Go the Israelies.
you are openly supporting genocide?
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/07/16/371556/israel-must-kill-all-palestinian-mothers/
Calling genocide is like crying wolf. When it really happens noone will be willing to do anything about it (e.g. Rwanda). The situation in Gaza is not genocide. If the Israelis were really interested in wiping out the population they would use the same sort of ordinance that the Syrian regime drops on rebel controlled areas.
In a week or so Gosman when the death toll in Palestine passes 2000, 20,000, 200,000 will you still defend Israel?
The intent is what makes it genocide not the fucking bodycount.
How black is the heart that takes light from shadows.
And I’m pointing out that if there was actual intent the Israelis would be using much more lethal weapons to achieve their aims. In your views why are they not using more deadly weapons?
Because incremental assassination of the populace is more easily managed on the International stage and Israel have been firing from the grassy knoll for decades.
Apparently not if you and others are crying Genocide.
Also as a genocidal policy it isn’t very effective. These sorts of tactics have been carried out by the Israeli military fro decades yet the Palestinian population hasn’t diminished during this time.
“yet the Palestinian population hasn’t diminished during this time.”
are you ignorant or just stupid ?
https://sites.google.com/site/palestiniangenocide/
“over 40 years of illegal Israeli Occupation of the West Bank and Gaza; 0.1 million 1948-2011 violent Palestinian deaths, post-1967 excess deaths 0.3 million; post-1967 under-5 infant deaths 0.2 million; 3,600 under-5 year old Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) infants die avoidably EACH YEAR in the OPT “Prison” due to Apartheid Israeli war crimes.”
http://globalavoidablemortality.blogspot.co.nz/2006/05/post-1967-palestinian-israeli-deaths.html
“7. Post-1967 avoidable mortality and under-5 infant mortality in the Occupied Palestinian Territories total 0.3 and 0.2 million, respectively ”
http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread581669/pg1
has some very clear charts in case reading is not your thing
The more pertinent questions are “What was the Palestinian population in 1967 and what is it now?”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_the_Palestinian_territories
Approximately 1 million in 1970 and over 4 million 40 years later. Not very successful genocide if they are attempting it wouldn’t you agree?
Is this the bit where I am meant to say ‘by that reckoning no genocide of Jews occurred in WWII’ and you get to accuse me of anti-Semitism ?
your tactics need tuning,
I have better things to do today
Except the Nazis were remarkable successful at reducing the Jewish population in large parts of Europe. Prior to WWII Jews made up a significant proportion of the population of Poland for example. Do you know how many Polish Jews left in Poland there are now?
Gossie. There were still plenty of Jews in Poland in 1938.
The various apologists, doubters and hairsplitters here posting support for the dirty filthy Israeli military, should however unlikely, try and grow some human decency.
Won’t someone please think of the little children.
That’s a ugly comment, Gosman, and highlights your lack of empathy. You know full well children are suffering.
My point is by using emotional language and labelling anyone who dares to not agree with your point of view you effectively shut down any ability to sensibly debate and discuss options around the subject. Noone is downplaying any deaths or suffereing of any people here (innocent or otherwise). I am quite sure the Israelis think they are protecting their own innocent children via their actions though.
Please explain how killing 4 young children on Gaza beach furthers that aim.
Please. Israel has done nothing but protect their own children by way of 60 years of settlement expansion, at the expense of the second class citizens’ children in that country, Palestinian children.
They can’t even vote…
– By Noam Sheizaf |Published October 30, 2012
http://972mag.com/who-gets-to-vote-in-israels-democracy/58756/
Apartheid, or not?
Which little children? The little children the Israelis murdered for the crime of playing soccer on a beach, maybe?
And when Hamas get their hands on some more sophisticated rockets and begin to smash up Israeli cities with them will you go Wah Wah Wah about the death of Israeli civilians,
Hamas firing of 100s of largely useless homemade rockets into Israel directly provoked this invasion…
Get your timeline right. Israel used the kidnapping and deaths of those Israeli teenagers as the pretext to launch these full scale military ops.
The deaths of those teenagers should have been dealt with as a CRIMINAL matter, not as a matter for collective responsibility via military assault.
When putting together a reply to Gosman earlier, I included an article which provides a lot of context for the current conflict. It also contains numerous links to associated stories.
you know where I stand,
humans need to grow up and stop hitting each other to solve their problems
You have watched too much FIFA in the last couple of weeks Harriet.
You have the rhythm and semantics of a football supporter in the throes of World Cup fever.
Take your misplaced cheerleading to another sport, until your fevered brain allows you to comment articulately.
This situation deserves more scrutiny and discussion than what you have offered.
Cluetip:
When you’re the one who has caused over 200 civilian deaths through naval bombardment, drone strikes, shelling, and airstrikes, including 4 young boys playing on the beach yesterday, YOU are the terror organisation.
Harrier Jump Jet, you are a very disturbed individual to be making such comments. Your pom pom cheerleading of the Israeli Defence Force, who have brought so much death, pain and suffering to innocent people is incredibly sickening.
I sense though, seeing this is very similar to a comment you made on karol’s post, that you could be intentionally trying to wind people up. Such misery is not a game.
Or part of the organised Israeli Govt social media campaign, as was featured in the Jerusalem Post a couple of days ago.
Quite possibly. This intervention on the ground looks imilar to their last invasion of the Gaza strip. They are unlikely to achieve anything long term.
One of the more powerful things I’ve read this week:
http://publicaddress.net/speaker/not-even-a-statistic/
And this is why it is necessary to speak up. Because this can’t go on and, as a society, we need to change. What use is fixing anything if we can, collectively, still fail at providing the most basic of securities to over half the population (including children here)?
I note Winston is wanting an enquiry in to the running of Kiwi Rail. Seems to me to be a good reason for the State not owning a commercial enterprise.
piffle.
it is just an example of national party cronies out of their depth.
everytime kiwirail has passed into private hands it has been looted and handed back.
this time it is just ineptitude from national party appointees.
Do you have evidence that the people running Kiwi Rail have liks to the National Party?
Interestingly even if you did that would be another reason why the State should not run comercial enterprises because they can stack the board and management with political appointees.
Seems to me Gosman that like all ‘wing-nuts’ you just cannot help but dribble shit, here’s a taste of a few of the private ferry operator Bluebridges recent woes,
11 Feb 2013–The troubled Bluebridge ferry stuck in Wellington with engine problems may be out of action for a while,
http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/…/336738767-troubled-bluebridge-ferry-could-be-out-a-while
7 March 2013–Bluebridges 28 year old Santa Regina is one of three Cook Strait ferries to experience mechanical problems this week,
maritime-connections.com/…/three-cook-strait-ferries-hit-by-mechanical-problems/
29 November 2013–Bluebridge ferry Santa Regina misses sailings with mechanical problems,
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominionpost/news/…/more-woes-for-cook-strait-ferries
31 Jnauary 2014–Mechanical problems meant Blubridge ferry Santa Regina was two and a half hours late sailing from Wellington this morning,
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/9671438/bluebridge-ferry-delayed
3 April 2014–The Bluebridge ferry has experienced overnight engine problems,
article.wn.com/view/2014/04/03/engine_problems_hamper_ferry/
Shall i dig you up the 2012 mechanical problems/cancellations for the privately owned Bluebridge ferry services Gosman…
What is the reason Winston Peters is not calling for an enquiry in to these problems?
Because it’s a private enterprise and so it’s running and inevitable collapse is of no public concern. Whereas the railways, being a natural monopoly, essential infrastructure and run by the state, is,
A ferry service is not a natural monopoly though is it DTB?
Yes, it is because it’s all part of the same infrastructure. We used to understand that. Well, our politicians did and they knew that a state monopoly of infrastructure is the most efficient and cost effective means of supplying that service. Then they got bitten by the neo-liberal bug and privatised everything pushing prices up and services down.
How is it the same infrastucture given that Bluebridge has a separte terminal (at least in Wellington)?
Did you see the bit where I said part of the same infrastructure?
It’s just another part of the transportation network.
Then so is any enterprise that uses not just shipping terminals but roads and airports as well. I presume you think all of those are natural monopolies as well do you? Would be interesting to see how taxis would work if you do.
Nope, only where having more than one operator is an increase in costs with no added benefits.
Who determines if there is no added benefit of additional players? You and your army of bureaucrats I presume?
How about a B/C study?
You know something, we’ve never actually done one on the privatisations – just gone with the ideology.
How much it should cost to get broadband into every home in the country? Shouldn’t take long for you to find out as it’s a regulated price.
What is the reason that to all extents and purposes you are a functional dunce Gosman, Peter’s is grandstanding, looking for publicity from political points scoring,
What you do not know, and i do, probably because my old man was an AB on those ships, is that the ferries have been hitting the wharves at Aotea Quay and the Picton terminal with monotonous regularity since they first came into service,
It is only in the age of the ‘smart-phone’ that such occurrence are more likely than not to receive publicity,
The Aotea Quay wharf used by NZRail to berth its ferries is wide open to both the Northerly and Southerly gales that are a regular feature of Wellingtons weather,having to reverse into such berths mean that in such gales the chances of being blown into the wharf are greatly enhanced,
The ‘stretching’ of the Aratere by some 12 meters has turned that ship into a lemon as the insert allows for the ferry to flex in rough conditions more than the original design allowed for,
The private operator Bluebridge’s problem is of another nature, their ferry Santa Regina is 30 odd years old and just about ready for the scrap yard,
The danger of running these old and ill designed ships is that they will experience a significant engine failure, fully laden, in rough weather coming through the Wellington heads,
What is needed is a significant investment in this part of State Highway One with the building of some new ferries preferably here in New Zealand which would create 1000s of jobs and train 1000s of young workers in skills that are always in demand…
As much as I agree with you that those ferries should be build in NZ by NZers I doubt if doing so would produce more than a couple of hundred jobs.
no only the national party does that.
they need the patronage and its their style to rely on nepotism rather than merit.
That may very well be accurate. However the problem is that the National party gets in to office around half the time so has plenty of opportunity of placing their cronies in to positions of power in these organisations. The obvious solution to this is to not have the government being able to appoint their cronies in the first place.
The state should have no role in running Kiwi rail, nor should it be run by commercial interest either. Both have a shocking track record and both have trampled over the labour force in the industry. It seems to me, the only solution left, is a worker lead industry producing a rail system which works for the whole country. Otherwise were going to keep rolling on and on with this stupid system we currently have which is obviously not working for anyone.
I have no problem if a worker owned collective bought the assets of KiwiRail and ran it. Just don’t expect Government funding to keep it operating.
cool..!..kim dotcom is to launch a private prosecution over his being spied on…
Pity the other 87 New Zealand citizens who were also illegally spied upon have been refused the courtesy of also prosecuting those who behaved illegally toward them by the Governments refusal to inform those people that they had been the target of such illegality…
As a footnote: Perhaps Kim DotCom might like to consider widening His legal action against the illegally spying Government agencies into a class action suit covering all the 88 odd New Zealand citizens illegally spied upon,
In such an action the right of ‘discovery’ might reveal to those who were spied upon the fact that they were…
Does the NZ justice system allow class action suits?
Does the New Zealand education system turn out functional idiots??? apparently so if you are anything to measure it by Gosman…
Anything actually useful to add or is just an ad-hominem attack because you are feeling a little down today?
No Gosman, just pointing out your apparently inferior education or lack of actual ability to be educated,
Hint: i aint here as your on call fucking research department, if you want to ask twenty question and expect an answer then i suggest you fuck off and ask those questions of Google like normal people do…
“Seriously considering…”
You (again) are reading into this what you want.
He said he was “seriously considering”
https://twitter.com/KimDotcom/status/489619734757797889
Not to be taken for granted as happening as per your post.
Like he was considering sponsoring Team New Zealand, and pitting in another internet pipe to NZ.
both “considered” and nothing happened.
Anyone interested in the culture of North American Indians will find this interview with Bryan Crump on Nights at Radio New Zealand last night awesome.
“Mixed blood Cherokee map-maker Aaron Carapella has created what appears to be the first map showing the names and locations of Native American tribes before Europeans set foot on the North American continent”
http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/20142107
Air New Zealand is making its grabaseat special site customer unfriendly for people wanting to travel within NZ. There are nice informative windows for overseas but for NZ there is just a great mass of destinations run together, not even in a list form with some sort of alphabetic order. So I can’t run my eye down to see what is available.
They said they were doing an $8 flight thing and have 1143 – they say available but don’t count on it as they don’t change their available figures on the main list fast. Perhaps the cheap ones have all gone but no way at all of seeing what the status is.
But I have to start a booking before I am told what the price is.not the other way round. So I have made a tentative search with a trial booking and can’t find sign of anything special,not grabaseat price or $8. What a waste of time and smoke and mirrors. I am losing respect for Air NZ. Bring back Rod Fyfe, his stewardship of the airline led to good outcomes for Kiwis travelling within the country.
Do the climate a favor and hitch-hike…
The problem that Labour have now is one of momentum, its now almost a like a sport to see just how low Labour can fall in the polls. Will Labour break the 20% barrier? Who knows but the msm will be pushing it and people will be interested in seeing it happen and so will try to make it happen.
On the plus side its good for the Greens
Puckish-see jackals post today on IMP meetings. 22/20/7 gets a left wing government. You can choose who the 22/20 are!
But we may be seeing a Green Revolution developing at this election. Wouldn’t that give NZ some fantastic press across the world.
Its good to think positively, you think Dover Samuels thinks the same?
This is good from Dita de Boni today.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11295224
Yes. The most “with restraint” McCully approach to diversion through boring everyone.
Will the Australian government bar Obama from the G8?
(Because of his actions in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen and Gaza.)
Radio NZ National, 9:30 a.m., Friday 18 July 2014
In August 1968, the U.S.-led propaganda machine went into catatonic overdrive when the USSR sent tanks and troops into Czechoslovakia in order to bring a halt to Alexander Dubček’s program of political liberalisation. Many observers, of course, noted that the last regime in the world that was entitled to denounce a country for invading another was the United States. In 1968 the United States had more than half a million troops perpetrating the murderous destruction of Vietnam, and in a few years it would go on to attack and destroy Laos and Cambodia, perhaps irreparably. The United States was also the major backer of the blood-soaked Suharto dictatorship in Indonesia, as well as other gruesome regimes in Pakistan, Burma, Spain, Portugal, Israel, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Haiti, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
The Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia killed one hundred and eight people in total. Five months earlier, U.S. troops killed more than four times that number in a typical raid—this one was on two hamlets in Quảng Ngãi province in Vietnam. The hamlets were named My Khe and My Lai. The killings were nothing out of the ordinary; American troops did this so regularly that this particular massacre wasn’t even reported until more than a year later.
Over the years, the hypocrisy has never let up, not for a second. Uncle Sam still finds time to mount the pulpit, up to his knees in blood, and denounce others for doing what he himself has done, and continues to do, on a far greater scale.
It would be a lot harder for such vicious regimes to get away with it if people were more informed. To keep them uninformed, and stupid, and posting to Kiwiblog, and hosting radio talkback shows, it’s important to get the media on board. The best way to do this is to get “reporters” to repeat official blather, and routinely express “concern” at the “behavior” of official enemies, while studiously, diplomatically, putting aside such obvious and troublesome quibbles as: “What about what WE are doing?” There will always be troublemaking reporters, real reporters, of course, outriders like Jon Stephenson, Seymour Hersh, Julian Assange, and Matt Lee, but they can be easily sidelined when you have the vast majority of “reporters” on message, and able to suppress the urge to laugh at the absurdity, or screech at the obscenity, of the charade they are asked to perform.
On Radio NZ National this morning, there was a perfect example of this carefully cultivated blindness. A Malaysian Airlines passenger jet has been shot down in the Eastern Ukraine. It looks like there was possibly some Russian involvement. It looks like a significant number of the victims were Australians. To discuss this grave incident, Nine to Noon host Kathryn Ryan interviewed one Karen Middleton, of SBS. After some talk about the terrible event itself, Middleton moved from reporter to propagandist with sinister smoothness. She noted that Australia is due to host the G8 summit later this year, but that “there have been calls” to not invite Vladimir Putin “because of Russia’s actions in the Ukraine.”
She did not mention any calls to not invite Barack Obama or David Cameron, because of the actions of the United States and its deputy in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen and Gaza.
I am sure Kathryn Ryan thought exactly what I and virtually everyone else was thinking when she heard that: what cant, what exquisite hypocrisy, what specious, sanctimonious nonsense. But she stifled any qualms she might have had, and said nothing. The nasty little provocation was allowed to lie there, unchallenged. Even in the midst of an awful event like this, the propaganda barrage never stops. And, almost without exception, our media representatives, instead of challenging them, cooperate with the propagandists and serve as their megaphone.
+111
I was also interested in both the statement and Ryan’s failure to challenge it.
The experts / propagandists are being trundled out by the Americans to establish a case against Russia and /or the pro-Russian rebels even though we don’t yet know for certain how the plane was brought down and, if it was by means of a sophisticated ground to air missile, it could have been fired from areas of Ukraine not under rebel control.
We do know that 295 civilians died which is tragic and an eerily similar number to the 290 who died when an American aircraft carrier shot down an Iranian commercial aircraft in 1988. They claimed it was an accident and as I recall no-one really questioned that much except the Iranians – and George Bush Snr gave the captain of the carrier involved an award 2 years later for his exemplary service.
It may be the pro-Russian rebels had acquired a sophisticated air to ground missile and the technical knowledge to launch it – although it’s hard to see how they (or the Russians) would think that shooting down an unidentified plane was going to do their cause anything other than great harm. As to the alleged phone conversation ‘confirming’ rebel involvement, how stupid would you have to be to think that a huge jet plane flying at 30,000 feet was bringing spies to the region?
It may of course be a dirty op – and you’d have to be a very ill-informed or ideologically blinkered person to deny the existence of loads of them or to deny the fact that the perpetrators of them wouldn’t give a damn about killing 300 innocents.
An idea that could be useful. A campaign throughout NZ by those wanting to get our democracy working.
Each day ask at least one new person ‘Are you a Sleeping Beauty?’ They will be puzzled and either reject the question as odd or irrelevant or ask for information. The answer would be ‘A Sleeping Beauty is a dreaming NZer who won’t vote in the September election.”
(If they did not reply it would not matter as they would have heard it and if it could go viral, then they hear other people discussing it, and there will have been a breakthrough in the ‘ignoring the election and our democracy’ wall of shame.)
This would just put the thought into people’s minds, become aware and could be done with anyone except people in authority over you, and those men who are so gender sensitive they might punch you in the nose.
If someone could put that idea up on Facebook it would get around fast, great consciousness raising, with a quirk to make it intriguing. It could mean that everyone in NZ would have heard the question, or about it, before the election.
Anyone up for making a positive personal difference as they circulate round the rohe!
Why don’t YOU start this thing off then? Create that FB page and start building the groundswell for the campaign. I personally don’t think it will be particulaly effective but good on you if you give it a go.
Thanks Gosman. Why don’t you give it a go? You have lots of time to sit and contribute critiques to the discourse and it would be good for you to practice your tech skills. I have lots of things that I absolutely must do. And little time to acquire the Facebook skills. You could put your time to something useful except negative stuff.
Or is it like typical NZ – no-one has an idea then someone brings one up, everyone else likes it and appoints the thinker to carry it out. Or it is damned with faint praise as you have done. Wishy-washy NZ. ‘Oh I don’t knoooww if that would work. Let’s sit around and do nothing and gossip. Oh well time to go home, see you tomorrow.’
Real red hen stuff. (This does not apply to all persons
involved with The Standard.)
I do so have permission to edit this comment.
Edited version.
gosamn is a paid moaner for the national party.
as far as I can recall he has never made a constructive contribution here or anywhere else for that matter.
“Each day ask at least one new person ‘Are you a Sleeping Beauty?’”
Yep – I cannot imaging anyone taking the mickey out of that at all.
Labour should run with it. Pure Genius!
Hello, I have 3 minutes to go but was not allowed to edit again my last comment.
I realise that I am being wishy washy.
Saying an idea that could be useful. How wet.
It is a great idea that would have big positive outcomes for small input. Like throwing a stone in a pond and the ripples spread in rings around – and each new action likewise.
“Be a voter not a floater…”
lol
Very funny Tiger Mountain 11.46am
However I am serious that it would be a good idea and not therefore suitable for saying amusing things of a scatalogical nature.
Sounds remarkably like what we have in NZ. Companies complaining about the lack of skills but are unwilling to actually do anything about it.
In light of Zetetic’s post this morning, I thought this article is quite apt http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/opinion/10264045/Bias-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder
No it is not. It is based on a false premise that media views are centralist and left and right views are on either side of reality.
Media bias in the eye of the beholder? – including the eye of the people saying it’s in the beholder’s eye?
Great post by the Jackal today. National with a small meeting in what appears to be a rest home in Wanaka while IMP are filling halls in the North. Even some young people present.
Watch IMP in the polls!
http://thejackalman.blogspot.com/2014/07/a-tale-of-two-meetings.html
Be interesting to see the numbers at West Auckland IMP Road Trip meeting on Sunday, 2pm, Kelston Community Centre top of Waikumete hill.
The Northland meetings were good turnouts being in the storm aftermath. The thing with these Internet Mana events is the people there are active locally or at the very least interested. Public meetings can be useful organisers as Winston knows.
+1 Tiger. Winston came to my mind when I saw the pictures of the meetings.
TM – precisely. It is only outside of Harawira’s electorate and even down into the Waikato and BoP that we are going to really get a feel for how much momentum IMP actually has.
They’re getting there, but they do not have the big Mo yet.
This thread is a Gosman sandwich. Trouble is it’s our fingers and ideas being bitten off in Gosman’s mouth and other RWNJ peculiar gourmands.
You do have all day to spend here Gosman so please do go on Facebook and put up my suggestion. I really have to go and do some real work instead of just thinking and worrying about getting a better world so that you can come along and pass some superior judgment on it as being a waste of time.
Slow progress made on wagon repairs
The BERL report on why they should have been built in New Zealand said that we’d get higher quality from Hillside and now it seems that they were correct.
We didn’t need the BERL report, engineers and management at KiwiRail knew months ahead of product delivery that the rolling stock was going to be woefully substandard.
A political decision pushed through by the Tories, the final win for the Tories being them closing down Hillside workshops irreversibly.
Probably because they read the BERL report before the order went out.
Nothing is ever irreversible – it’ll just take a long time to set up again.
We certainly do have to question why the Tories seem so hell bent on destroying NZ’s economy though.
FFS mate, no fucking economic consultants report was needed to tell the Kiwi Rail engineers who have had to deal first hand with the shit gear manufactured out of China for years and years that this was going to be more of the same.
That report was required to try and penetrate the muddle headed bureaucrats and media who had no idea and still have no idea.
It may come as news to you that we have a Free Trade Agreement with China. You can’t reverse that. Indeed there is no alternative to a rapid expansion of such agreements with East Asian countries. I would like to see the next one with Bangladesh. You are living in a 1970s bubble dream about New Zealand manufacturing. If cars can’t be made economically in Australia, how are we going to produce train sets? From memory the Hillside bid came in about sixth on price.
The only way your world view will work is a return to protectionism. That is not happening.
You would be much better advised to work with markets to advance the circumstances of the poor. Otherwise you are just pissing in the wind and irrelevant to modern life. Your ideas will simply never be implemented in New Zealand.
The sin of cheapness.
the idiocy of cheapness, too.
A cheap tender for cabs that have fucking asbestos. 🙄
Yep, people always try to get things that cost less money not realising that, one way or another, you still get to pay the full, real costs.
A free trade agreement doesn’t mean that we have to buy from them. Willing buyer, willing seller and such.
Cars can be made economically in Australia same as they can be made economically here. The problem you have, and it’s right across economics, is that you confuse finances with economics.
Nope – count full costs properly and trade between nations will end.
Markets only work to empower and enrich the already rich – as we’ve seen throughout history.
Toby Manhire superb as ever on Dotcom.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11295624
What is it with the sub-editors or those who write the headers for the Herald.
“NZ First’s shoot to kill law.”
Sound pretty lethal. But Adam Bennett’s column just explains that NZF wants the laws regarding self-defence to be clarified. Farmers or dairy owners defending themselves. A good idea. Have written to Adam as such a misleading header detracts from the quality of his writing. Shame.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11295250
It is the misleading headers in the Herald that bug me: “Toby Manhire: Dotcom’s delayed bombshell looks like a fizzer.”
Not what Toby says at all + the NZF I forgot to send this morning @21.1
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11295684
Don’t talk rubbish Pukish.
If Samuels took the trouble to read what Cunliffe actually said, not what the MSM reported, you will see that in context it was a brave attempt to initiate a debate on the real problem of violence against women to which our shallow PM could only say this was a “silly” thing to say. Pathetic response.
The highway north can be improved without spending the vast amounts proposed by National. The balance can be spent on things that are desperately needed in NZ like better public transport, smaller class sizes, paying off the $50 billion in debt incurred by this National government etc etc
Notice also that he is not moving his vote to National.
If Samuels took the trouble to read what Cunliffe actually said, not what the MSM reported, you will see that in context it was a brave attempt to initiate a debate on the real problem of violence against women to which our shallow PM could only say this was a “silly” thing to say. Pathetic response.
No, it just sounds like he’s still back in the 1950s.
Dover Samuels a good man? Good at looking after himself. At least as good as Shane Jones. Not quite so good at doing anything worthwhile for the people of Matauri Bay, let alone Te Tai Tokerau.
Johnny Winter has died.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Tyg5SJDpiQ
RIP Johnny Winter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkTZvcZs9pY
Note for Lynn.
Each time I make a comment I need to fill in my name and email address. It’s been happening for a few days. Don’t know whether the problem is at my end or TS end.
Cheers.
Lolz, it is giving me apoplexy, i mean how hard is it to learn to ‘look’ each time you make a comment, yet for the last few days despite telling myself how fucking stupid i am over and over i still keep not looking,
Laughs, it got me a goody again this afternoon, straight after i logged onto the Standard i filled in the name and email thinking that will fix it,
Browsed a couple of Posts and then made a comment, again forgetting to look, and the name and email had done the disappearo again….
we could all just log in of course, but as bad12 says, it is it’s own fun 🙂
Lolz, nah it can’t be that easy, can it???…
Cunliffe just can’t catch a break:
http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2014/07/benefit_numbers_down_5.html
Please show us where they highlight those who have moved on from a benefit such as ‘Widow’s’ benefit or DPB or Long-Term Invalid’s benefit and are now receiving Superannuation? Whilst doing that would you be so kind to present any data available about those who have simply been removed from assistance with no other form of income. That might be difficult by the way as the government choose not to collect that data. It is a bit tougher to rah rah when reality is asked for isn’t it Puckish Rogue.
Meanwhile here is a little indisputable fact. According to the Household Labour Force Survey, the preferred vehicle for National Government stats. Unemployment has increased by 42 thousand people since 2008. 105K in 2008 147K in 2014 http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/income-and-work/employment_and_unemployment/HouseholdLabourForceSurvey_HOTPMar14qtr.aspx
http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/income-and-work/employment_and_unemployment/HouseholdLabourForceSurvey_HOTPDec08qtr-revised.aspx
snap Freedom.
The Household Labour force survey has in recent years consistently shown higher numbers of unemployed, looking for work and discouraged unemployed, not actively seeking work, than there are numbers on unemployment benefits. And no, they have not migrated to sickness benefits, let alone found stable jobs. Remember the benefit system has been collapsed down into nearly everyone being considered a ‘jobseeker’ regardless of circumstances, inclusive of the sick, some invalids and sole parents.
The answer is;
a) the two Paulas (Bennett and Rebstock) war on the poor which includes making WINZ effectively a difficult to negotiate sadistic process which people basically avoid if they can possibly do so. WINZ have their own designated doctors and more required meetings and useless seminars than you can imagine that require transport, a mobile phone, presentable clothing etc.
b) a large slice of struggling lower mid socio level people drawing Keys “communism by stealth” in work tax credit aka WFF. If not for this Labour devised handout many more would be caught in the WINZ catch 22.
So people end up in cars, garages, petty crime, begging, precarious employment and the ‘black’ economy. Lower benefit numbers mean diddly with all the social dislocation and strife in this country.
I would like to add by way of a small repost
For those listening to and reporting on the latest employment statistics
23 advertisements for the vacant position of a gumboot checker
does not mean there are 23 vacant gumboot checker positions
we’ll file with Treasury reporting on child poverty and police reporting on the burglary rate in Counties Manukau, shall we?
send a copy to vernon small too.
It shouldn’t happen but it does and the latest example of racial profiling is shocking.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/10280576/Swoop-on-marae-likened-to-Tuhoe-raids
This was 2am in the morning btw. WTF is going on that these cases slime up every week or so. It is just not good enough not by a bloody long shot.
Yep, absolutely bloody disgusting actions by the police.
Amazing animation of a comet
http://www.universetoday.com/113317/rosetta-zooms-toward-an-extraordinary-comet/#more-113317
Such technical brilliance – mysteries revealed – a pity all of our brainpower couldn’t be used to stop war.
any effective drumbeat for war is typically led by a few hundred people at most, typically all members of the 0.1%.
http://www.fatherlyadviceandrants.com/orwell-vs-huxley.html
Old but good. Never really thought of these two as either/or. More of a blending seemed closer to reality.